River

The Call of the River

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Bourbeuse River
Big River
Yak on the Bourbeuse

“The river is constantly turning and bending and you never know where it is going to go and where you’ll wind up.  Following the bend in the river and staying on your own path means that you are on the right track.  Don’t let anyone deter you from that.” – Eartha Kitt

As a youngster my family spent a lot of time on the river.  We would set trot lines, limb lines and tight line fish.  My grandparents on both sides spent a lot of time fishing with us.  It was quite the family outing.  All we ever used for shelter was a tent.  We were the kings of roughing it.  Lots of good times and memories.

I managed to stumble into adulthood and traded the waters of the river for the waters of the lake.  Bought the big bass boat and began tournament fishing.  It was a fast paced form of fishing and after some years the river begin to call me again.  I resisted at first then finally began to explore the local rivers and their beauty once again.

At first I just went with friends who had boats or found places to fish from the banks of the river.  Then I was introduced to the versatility of the kayak.  It was certainly a game changer.  The kayak introduced me to a simple way to explore the river that I had never imagined.  I now had a way to explore every bend and turn of the river.

My dream is to float the Big River and the Bourbeuse from the beginning to the end.  One can learn a lot about themselves while enjoying the solitude and serenity of the river.  I use that time to recharge my spirit and cleanse my soul.  It is quite fitting that I use the bends and turns of the river to ease the bends and turns in my life.  While indulging in the peace and tranquility of the river it is easy for one to focus on their path in life.

Remember to be kind to one another and to share the love.  God Bless and thanks for reading.

 “You know a dream is like a river, ever changing as it flows and a dreamer’s just a vessel that must follow where it goes.  Trying to learn from what’s behind you and never knowing what’s in store……”  Garth Brooks- The River

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh What A Night On The River

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Before I get to the good stuff I guess I should tell you a little bit about me.  I love to fish.  I am addicted to it.  I like to get on the river around four in the afternoon and stay out all night.  It is so peaceful on the river at night. Usually anyway.

I launched the yak on the Big River at Washington State Park.  It started just like any other trip.  I work my way upstream so I can float back down.  I set out some limb lines then I fish until dark at which time I bait the lines.  Once the lines are all baited I tight line fish.  I usually back the yak into a gravel bar and fish out of the yak.  That is what I did this particular night.

I was all backed into a gravel bar.  Now this stretch of the river has had some meth cooking activity in the past.  It is about one a.m. and I hear a rustling in the woods behind me.  I really didn’t think anything about it.  Then about 10 minutes later it happens again and it sounds like a moose on steroids raking its gigantic rack through the trees.  Talk about getting rid of the new underwear smell!  A certain part of my anatomy slammed shut.  Well ladies and gentleman I am here to tell ya that I launched that yak and it looked like it had a 150 horse Johnson on the back of it.  I think I even got it up on plane.  I never looked back to see what it was.  I thought it was better that way.

After “Big Foot” (or whatever) chased me off the gravel bar I settled on another gravel bar down stream.  I calmed down and started fishing for cat again.  I had my rod and reel just laying against my tackle box.  Then it happened.  I had nodded off around 2:30 a.m. when something decided it wanted a closer look at my rod and reel because all of a sudden it took off out the boat.  A million things that it could have hung on and it hung on nothing.  Nothing at all I tells ya!

Now what does one do?  I knew the water was very clear and was only about 4 feet deep so I started searching for my rod and reel,  I was going from one side to the other when my light shined on my rod and reel.  It is just stationary floating in the river.  The current was so swift that it brought the rod and reel to the top.  I manage to maneuver the yak into a position for me to grab the end of the rod.  I am stretched to the max.  My fingers are so close and I am going to grab it and then………….it takes off upstream.  What?  Am I really chasing my rod and reel up river.  Is this a dream?  Guilty of chasing the rod and reel and no it wasn’t a dream.

After some time goes by I manage to grab the pole and pulled back at which point whatever was on the end of the line just kept on trucking.  It didn’t stop, or hesitate. Must have been “Charlie the Tuna.

Thanks for taking the time to read.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Share the love, be kind to each other and God Bless you one and all.

What  you lose in the fire, you will find in the ashes.

 

 

 

Oh The Joy of Fishing!

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Just when you forget about civilization it slaps you in the face.  Pic is taken on the Bourbeuse River at Union, MO

It was just another day and I decided to load the kayak and head to the Bourbeuse.  We had heavy rains the night before and that morning.  After finally getting everything together I headed for the river with visions of fish dancing in my head.

The sun was shining and the river was up. but dropping.  The current was running wild and you could see where it had been out of its banks just a few days prior to my fishing excursion.  I had my doubts about there being any good fishing in my future but there is no bad day of fishing, so I thought.

I started down river and had the thought of setting some limb lines but the nasty current would soon change my mind.  So I headed up river to a point where the water was shallow and dumped into a deeper hole.  It was swirling around a sandbar then rolled into a deeper hole where bait fish would be pushed into the deeper water by the current.

I backed my yak into the sandbar and decided to fish the hole.  I started with heavy pole and line and it wasn’t long before something started nobbling on the bait.  Have you ever had the opportunity to go to combat with a bait stealer?  It can be very frustrating and you develop an attitude that you aren’t giving up till you hook the little nuisance.  Well that is what happened.  It kept stripping the hook so it was time for plan B.  I pulled the ultra light out of my arsenal rigged with a pan fish hook and slip sinker.

Well plan B didn’t work and I guess it gave up or was full after its fine dinner of Canadian night crawlers.  As time passed I was listening to the chirp of the crickets and croaking of the frogs and enjoying the flashing of the lightning bugs to the point of forgetting about the line in the water.

Then it happened.  Wham!  something was dragging the ultra light across the deck of the yak.  It woke me out of my trance and somehow I managed to take control of the pole.  I set the hook and hot damn the fight was on.  It started south so I thinks to myself it has to be a channel.  Wrong again!  About that time the fish does a tail walk on top of the water dives and comes back up and does another tail walk.  By this time I think, oh my gosh, I have hung a bass.  It starts peeling off line and I realize that it might be a little too much for my ultra light pole with 4 pound test line.

We go head to head for about 5 minutes and I feel the yak being pulled off the sand bar and into the water where the current was waiting to push the yak down the river.  Oh crap what now?  I manage to hold the rod with my knees and grab the paddle and start fighting for position.  This stuff is hard on an old man I tells ya.

By now my heart is pounding out of the chest cavity and a million things that could go wrong are going through my head.  After what seemed like an eternity I finally jockeyed the yak up against another sand bar.  He is starting to tire a little and I am completely whooped. it

I manage to get him started to the boat and get up alongside the yak and got him close enough to realize that he was big enough that I could put my whole fist in its mouth.  Then it happens!  NEWS FLASH!  Hey dummy the dip net is behind you so how in the hell are you going to get to it.  I make a management decision to hoist him into the yak and everything is going perfectly then BAM!  He gets himself unhooked and lands on the deck of the yak and starts flouncing about like I had put him into a hot frying pan.  He is flopping and I am trying furiously to get ahold of him then, then, then SPLASH!  Yep sure enough as he hit the water he was singing Born Free.

I practice catch and release however that wasn’t what I had in mind at the moment.  Pictures!  I wanted pictures but I guess he was afraid the camera would steal his soul!  That is my story and I am sticking to it!

All in all it was a good day on the river.  I thought it was only fitting to take a picture of the MacDonald’s golden arches because that was the only place I would be getting a fish fillet sandwich.

Thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed it.  Nothing seemed to go right today but I am sure there is one fish in the Bourbeuse that is glad it didn’t.  Aww the joys of fishing.

Slow Down and Smell the River (cont.)

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Please forgive me I seemed to hit the wrong button.

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There was no Wi-Fi or cell phones.  You actually sat around the campfire and talked to EACH other.  No vides players in your vehicles, IPads or Smart Phones.  With all of these things missing in life one would actually slow down and smell the river.  We  fished.  We swam.  Made rope swings.  Most importantly, we talked.  Yep I know it is hard to believe.  I enjoyed those days immensely.  Those were the days my friend…… those were the days.

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I challenge each and every one of you to put the toys of modern technology down and go to the river.  You don’t need to have a boat to enjoy the river.  Go out and wet a line.  If you don’t like to take the fish off the hook then just don’t bait the hook.  Build a fire or better yet camp on the river bank for the night.  Most importantly relax, clear your mind and close your eyes and listen to the creatures of the river and………… smell the river.

All the pics above are on the Bourbeuse River in Missouri and were taken with a $99 camera.